Fire
by NeverQuiteFinished
Summary: "Finch could taste the kerosene and sweat on the other man's lips". Rinch. Rating will go up.
1. Chapter 1

Fire

Chapter One

"Mr. Reese? Are you there? Answer me John!" Finch found himself screaming into his earpiece, trying and failing to get a response from his partner. The last thing he had heard coming from Reese's end was a loud booming noise, like and explosion and then nothing. No static, no Reese, nothing.

Finch feared the worst. He knew that the new number the Machine had given them was going to be tricky, dealing with drug dealers always was, but he never expected it to turn into this. He pushed himself out of his chair and across the room towards the stairs and out of the library, limping as quickly as his body would allow. He walked onto the street and towards the small lot where he kept a car for emergencies and got the key he kept taped under the driver side door. He got in the car and drove, way over the speed limit to where he knew Reese was.

By his calculations, he had to get there, find Reese and get him out in less than twenty minutes before the police were to get there, and his partner was halfway across town. Finch drove like a madman, and before he knew it, he was pulling into a sight of a burning building, not sure how he got there in the first place.

His car came to a screeching stop and as he got out he scanned the area for a possible Mr. Reese, walking about unharmed and was unsuccessful. "Damn it John where are you?" Finch asked himself and he heard the familiar sound of police sirens making their way to the scene of the crime. He walked closer to the building, feeling the heat form the burning wreckage and knew that their pesky number had probably set the whole thing on fire, but he didn't care, he just wanted to find Reese and get out.

He started to walk around the perimeter but didn't have to go far before he spotted a body on the ground, dressed in what appeared to be a suit. Finch felt his breath quicken as he made his way towards the body, squinting to see if he could identify it in the distance, and he did. He tried to run, but his injuries hindered him greatly, but he reached the spot and kneeled beside a half conscious Reese.

The man looked awful. His clothes were torn, his face was dirty, blackened by ash, but luckily there didn't seem to be any blood on him, at least none that was his own. Finch scanned him and determined that the explosion hadn't harmed him that much, and he let out a breath of relief.

"Finch," Reese said weakly, looking at the man before him. "You came. You came for me."

"That's right. I'm here now, I got you." Finch heard himself say the words out loud but paid little mind to what he was actually saying. His mind was entirely focused on the view before him. He knew Reese was not super human, he knew the man was capable of being hurt just like everybody else in the world, but to see him in this condition, it was unnerving. "I got you." He said again, and he began to lean towards the injured man to get a hold of him and get him on his feet.

"Finch." He heard Reese calling him again and saw that the taller man had his eyes fixed on him. He saw how he lifted his arm toward him to place his hand on the back of his head and saw, or rather, felt himself being pulled forward. It caught Finch off guard but he made no attempt to stop what he knew was about to happen. Reese pulled him into a tight kiss, and Finch could taste the kerosene and sweat on the other man's lips. He had no time to pull himself away because as soon as the kiss started it ended, and Finch was met with an unconscious Reese, his arm still draped behind the shorter man's head.

There was no time to try and think through this logically, or even think of it at all. He used all of his might and managed to get Reese up on his feet and started dragging him towards their only means of escape.

Finch struggled under the taller man's dead weight but he pushed pass the pain and dragged the unconscious form to the back of the car, absentmindedly wishing he had parked closer. He grunted as he shifted the weight to one side of his body using the free side to slide his hand to the handle and open the door to the back seat. With one last push and a louder grunt he managed to get Reese inside, laying him across the entire back seat and making sure his feet weren't hanging out of the car. He closed the door hurriedly, sharply aware of the police sirens that sounded ever closer to their location. He limped to the driver's seat and raced the car out of the scene through a back way where he wished there would be no police.

As he drove, his mind dizzy from the smell of kerosene, he hoped he was not too late. It was all the man could do to keep his cool as he made his way back to the library. The thought of loosing Reese crept into his mind once or twice, but he willed it away, not sure how he would react to such a loss.

_-Note- So this is my first Person of Interest story and of course it's a Rinch. I'm not all that confident with it yet but I hope you like it. It will get to the slashy goodness soon but for now I hope you can put up with me and my bad story telling. Reviews are totally appreciated ^^_


	2. Chapter 2

Fire

Chapter Two

It wasn't until he found himself laying Mr. Reese on the bed in the back room of his beloved library that Finch realized he was even inside the building at all. He had no recollection of arriving, but he was thankful he had done so in one piece considering the state his companion was in. The eminent danger that plagued his thoughts was for now forgotten as he busied himself with gathering supplies to clean up his unconscious partner. His muscles ached and he could barely stand. The strain he put himself under was now catching up with him but he pushed it to the back of his mind as well and continued to get what he needed.

He found an old first aid kit that had more than enough instruments to perform a makeshift checkup on Reese's vitals and was more than happy to find that the man that so often risked his life for a good cause was nothing more than a little bruised and more than anything just dirty. Finch silently thanked whatever deity had spared Reese from a harsher fate yet again and let out a sigh of pure relief. He then thought it would be a good a time as any to clean up the man laying before him and got up to go to the bathroom that was in the small room he so rarely slept in anymore.

He turned on the sink and let the water run for a few minutes as he looked for a washcloth and a container to put everything in. He filled a plastic container with soap and warm water, making sure it wouldn't be too hot as to burn Reese. Once done, he started to head back into the small room but caught a glimpse of himself in the dingy mirror that stopped him in his tracks. Suddenly everything started to flow back. Reese had kissed him. He had pulled him down towards him and kissed him full on the lips. Finch looked at his reflection and saw himself tracing his lips with his free hand. He could still feel the ghost of Reese's lips on his own. He closed his eyes and recalled the taste, the contrast of soft and hard, the way he liked it. He suddenly wished he could do it again, kiss those lips again, but knew it was virtually impossible. Reese was not himself when he had kissed him. He was in shock and didn't know what he was doing. He probably thought Finch was Jessica or something. That had to be it.

As sad as that thought made him, Finch pulled himself together for what felt like the hundredth time that night and walked over to the figure sprawled out on the small bed. He looked at the sleeping man before him and frowned. He tried to remember when it was that he began to care for him as more than just his employee and valuable asset. He had always respected and admired Reese, he was a remarkable man with remarkable abilities after all and Finch understood how lucky he was to have him as a partner. But somehow, and without Finch's knowledge or even his permission, his feelings began to change and he began to see John Reese under a different light.

The man had slowly become an invaluable part of Finch's life. He trusted him, more than he allowed himself to admit. He cared for him, he worried everyday that the missions would eventually become too much and today that worry almost became a reality. He scorned himself at the thought of having put Reese in danger yet again. He knew the reasons were valid, he knew that and he knew that Reese also knew that. They both understood that what they did was dangerous, they had come to terms with it from the very beginning but it still did not stop Finch from worrying about the man he now had strong feelings for. Feelings that he so often foolishly referred to as love. He knew he would never admit this out loud, he knew it was useless, but the fact that Reese had kissed him lit some sort of hope inside of him that, although he wished with all his might that he could stop, was now burning strongly.

Finch sighed slowly as he began to get the washcloth wet with the soapy water. He rinsed it lightly and started to dab Reese's face carefully. The man was blackened with ash and sooth, it ruined his features completely and Finch allowed himself a small smile as he thought of how handsome Reese was whenever he wasn't covered in blood or other messes. He absentmindedly dabbed here and there, trying to get him as clean as possible without waking him up. As he moved his hand he felt Reese stir beneath him. Finch watched as his lips parted and he let out sleepy moan and he instinctively drew his hand back. He looked on, hoping he hadn't waken Reese up and when he saw that he slept on it made him smile again.

_Mr. Reese sure is cute when he sleeps._ Finch mused and let out the tiniest of chuckles. A grown man referring to another grown man as "cute" was an amusing thought, even if he had been the one to think it. Finch smiled on as he continued to clean up the "cute" man now laying on his bed, a situation he had more than once fantasized about. _If only the circumstances where different, John. _He moved down towards Reese's neck and stopped before he moved lower still. He slowly unbuttoned his partner's shirt to reveal an evenly tanned chest now marred with dried sweat and dirt. He rinsed the cloth again and began to gently scrub the man's chest. It heaved up and down slowly with every breath Reese took and Finch could feel the defined muscles, the strength behind them, and he suddenly felt very aware of his own weakness. Without Reese, without this specimen of men he would have never accomplished anything he set out to do.

"Thank you, John." Finch said out loud and he could swear he saw Reese smile at his words. That smile made Finch melt every time. It wasn't often that the two men got to smile in their line of work, but when it happened, Finch treasured those moments to the fullest. Reese's smile was always genuine, always holding meaning behind it, a trait that sadly so many lacked nowadays that Finch couldn't do anything but love it when the usually solemn man smiled. Even now it felt as though the smile was drawing Finch forward, pulling him in and making him feel safe, a feeling Finch rarely experienced, unless it involved Reese.

Reese. He slept on, unaware of his employers feelings for him, and Finch almost felt inclined to lean forward and kiss those lips again. _Just one more time_, he thought and before he knew exactly what he was doing, he was once again met with the feeling of Reese's lips on his own. His eyes were closed and he felt the sting of tears wanting to make their way to the surface but he pushed them back, like so many times he had pushed back his feelings. After a what felt like not enough time Finch pulled away from his embrace and looked at the face of the man he now knew he loved with what he knew must be absolute horror.

"Hmm Finch, you don't have to stop on my account."

Reese was looking at his employer, an overly smug smirk gracing his features and Finch felt the color drain out of his face.

-_Note- There are not enough words to express just how sorry I am for taking so dang long to update. I became one of those authors that annoy me so but I will not bore you with a lengthy explanation as to why I suck so much. But I will try to make this promise, and that is to update fairly regularly now, and if break it, well then you have my permission to egg my house. You know, assuming you get my address out of me first. Anyway I do hope this wasn't a huge letdown and remember that reviews make the world go round!_


	3. Chapter 3

Fire

Chapter Three

"Well I never expected that from you Finch." Finch could absolutely hear the smile on Reese's lips as he practically jumped out of the bed and stumbled backwards. He saw Reese quickly move as if to try and hold him up but the other man's soreness made him too late. Finch landed unceremoniously on his behind with a thud and a small 'Oh' escaping his lips. He felt his face grow intensely hot and as he resettled his glasses back onto his face properly he did everything in his power to not look the object of his desire, although at this time it was more hate than desire, in the eyes.

"You alright Finch?" Reese sounded concerned but Finch knew better. The man must be laughing his perfectly shaped butt off inside.

"Y-yes Mr. Reese. I'm just fine." Finch stuttered his words. He never stuttered. He had made it a mental note in his life to never be nothing less than eloquent, even in the most stressful of occasions. Clearly this occasion was more than he even bargained for. He thought he heard Reese let out a short sort of giggle from his spot on the floor and then he remembered he was actually still on the floor. He made a face and began to raise himself up with great effort.

"Oh Finch." All of a sudden Finch felt a pair of strong arms being wrapped around him and he was no longer on the floor. With Reese so close to him he had no other option but to look him in the eyes. They looked pained and the man remembered that his partner had just recently been in a dangerous explosion that left his body just as weak as Finch felt everyday. He felt like a very bad friend and overall a careless person and he grabbed on to Reese to keep him from falling over too.

"Mr. Reese there was no need." He began to apologize, "With your condition nonetheless."

"What condition? I feel just fine." Reese tried to play off his pain, as he often did but Finch was not having it. He gave Reese an 'I know you are lying' look and the taller man couldn't help but sigh in a defeated manner and let himself be led back to the bed. Finch pretended not to notice the wince Reese made and he tried his hardest to place him in a comfortable position but his own pain, both old and new, began to resurface and it made for a very awkward trek back onto the twin sized bed. Once on, Finch quickly let go of Reese and cleared his throat in an attempt to dissipate his uneasy feelings. He had just short of molested the man before him and then he had tried to run away like a frightened school girl only landing him on the ground looking silly. He could feel the heat coming back up to his face and cleared his throat again.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're conscious." Finch said, trying his best to sound as calm and unaffected by what was transpiring between them. Reese looked at him with those eyes of his, a curious glow sparkling within, and his lips were curled into a sly smile.

"I bet you are." He said, his smile growing wider and Finch felt like he couldn't breathe. Was this man really making fun of him already? There wasn't any need to bring up anything, not yet, and Finch was going to make sure to avoid the subject for as long as possible. No way was he going to even slightly touch on the fact that he had kissed Reese, that he had stolen a kiss actually. No, he was not going to let Reese suck him into one of those little games of his and make him feel even more uncomfortable than he already felt. No, he was going to apologize and mention that he had cleaned him up and there where no extensive wounds that needed to be looked at but if he preferred it he could have it arranged. He was not going to let Reese say a single word. He was simply going to say his peace and flee the room as quickly as his body would allow.

"Yes, well, I worry about you." Finch was shocked to hear those words come out of his mouth instead, the mouth that so recently had been kissed, twice, by a striking man that just so happened to be laying on his bed right now, shirt open, looking at him through shaded eyes. Surely that was the reason why he had deviated form his plan, Reese had such a hold on him that he only needed to look in Finch's direction and the bespectacled man would turn into putty. _Damn you John._ Finch cleared his throat yet again.

"I-I mean—"

"I know what you meant Finch." Reese cut him off in mid explanation. He was smiling again, this time a true genuine smile, the kind that Finch treasured above anything else. "Thank you for coming to get me."

"Of course I came to get you, Mr. Reese." Finch didn't really know what to say so he just stated the obvious. He still wanted to do right by his plan and get out of the room quickly, and he would try his best. "Now if you excuse me, you need some rest." With those words Finch turned on his heel and headed for the door but was stopped by a very scornful sounding Reese.

"Oh Harold, you don't think I'm going to let you go so easily do you?" Finch heard this and froze. His eyes closed, he feared for the worst. Clearly Reese was taunting him and this was bound to end in a very unpleasant place. He heard Reese move on the bed and he made a slight coughing sound. "Aren't you going to look at me?" Finch heard himself swallow loud enough for Reese to hear but he turned around nonetheless, completely aware of the lack of any color on his face.

"Mr. Reese I don't believe this is the right time to—" Finch began to wiggle his way out of this conversation but was cut off again by Reese.

"To talk about the way you kissed me just now?" Finch closed his eyes in defeat. There was just no way to win with this man. "I have to say," Reese continued, "It was a hell of a way to wake up."

"Yes, well, in my defense I did not think I would wake you." Reese laughed out loud at this and Finch didn't know what to make of it. If Reese was mad at him he sure wasn't acting like it.

"Oh Harold." Reese shook his head and smiled again. "You are something. Why didn't you just ask if you wanted to kiss me so badly? You didn't have to wait until I was asleep you know."

Finch was shocked. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. After all this time of feeling what he considered to be very inappropriate feelings towards his partner, here was the man acting as if being kissed by Finch of all people was no big deal at all. It confused Finch. He didn't know if it was because Reese had similar feelings or if he was just playing another 'Let's get Finch as flustered as I can' game. And if this was another game it was in very bad taste, very bad taste indeed.

"Look, Mr. Reese I—" Reese cut him off _again _and Finch was beginning to really get annoyed at this.

"'Mr. Reese?'" He said, "I think we're passed that now, don't you Harold? Call me John." The smirk on his lips remained intact and Finch's lips curled into a thin line at the sight of him. "Now, want to tell me what the kiss was about?"

This was not a fair game at all but Finch was not one to take losing lightly. "I was just paying back the favor _John."_ Finch put an emphasis on the name as to show his annoyance with Reese's care free reaction to all of this, but also to show that he was not backing down anymore.

"What favor?" Reese asked and Finch let his eyes grows wide as he realized that the man was serious. He honestly had no recollection of having been the one to kiss Finch in the first place, not that Finch honestly thought he would after his accident and all, but it did put a damper on the only bargaining chip he had to deal with such a teasing person.

"You don't remember do you?" Finch asked and Reese looked confused yet amused at the same time.

"Remember what?" he asked.

"When I found you in the wreckage, you…" Finch felt embarrassed thinking back and he paused for a second before continuing, "You pulled me down and kissed me before passing out." He knew he was blushing now, silly of course having just been through a lot more embarrassing things in the past ten minutes alone but he couldn't help it. The thought of his first kiss with John would always have this effect on him, even if it did taste like kerosene and the other man didn't quite remember it.

He looked at Reese and saw in his face that he was trying to make himself remember but was coming up with a blank, and the smallest of frowns appeared on his face before he looked up and met Finch's eyes with his own. There was that glow in them again, a glow Finch couldn't quite discern but it made him feel warm inside, even amongst all the chaos happening before him he forgot what was left of his annoyance and let himself be warmed by those eyes.

"I guess..." Reese spoke slowly, the glowing shaking a bit. "I guess my feelings finally won out. I just wish I hadn't been half unconscious when I finally got the balls to kiss you."

Finch didn't know how to react to that. He simply stood there, gaping at Reese unsure whether to jump for joy at the sudden confession, or run away from it, from him, from the man he had loved for too long now. Reese looked just as embarrassed as Finch felt and it gave the shorter man the encouragement he needed to finally make a move and approach the bed. He limped slowly forward, sat next to Reese, wincing as he did so and looked him in the eyes. Reese smiled at him and looked down at his disheveled appearance and winced himself at a slight pain that passed through him from having been thrown about by an exploding building. The two men looked at each other and began to smile clearly having the same thoughts.

"A fine pair we make, huh Finch?" Reese asked and Finch knew he was referring to the way they both seemed to be broken. They smiled again, bigger and fuller until their smiles turned into chuckles that then turned into full out laughter. It was like laughing with a friend at a very funny joke, a moment that neither of them had experienced in many years, and they both appreciated the rarity of the occasion and treasured it greatly.

The laughter slowly died out and the two were left there looking at each other through teary eyes and aching sides, their eyes gleaming in a very similar way. Finch was the first to break the silence.

"So, you needed balls to kiss me, John?" he asked in a teasing way that was very similar to Reese's. It made them both chuckle again but Reese looked as if he wanted to make Finch truly understand what he meant.

"I've been wanting to kiss for as long as I can remember Harold." Finch felt his heart skip a beat when he heard that. "I can't tell you when I started feeling this way, but I want you to know it isn't just a fleeting crush. I have strong feelings for you and I…" Reese stopped and looked down at his hands with a frown. Finch moved his hands to his and held them tightly, silently telling him to go on. "Today when I lost you, when I lost connection I mean, I couldn't think of anything other than how I was going to die and… and I never even got to tell you I loved you."

Finch felt tears pushing up again. He had so often, so very often felt the same exact way, had the utter desire to tell Reese that he loved him, that he needed him, that there was nobody in the world that could do what he did, nobody else Finch would pick over him, in any scenario in any time or place. He felt relieved, happy, for the first time in years he felt completely happy. He pulled his hands away from Reese and caused the man to look at him with questioning eyes. Finch just smiled and reached up, placing his hand on the back of Reese's neck and he pulled him down for a kiss much in the same way that had been done to him. Reese opened his eyes in mild surprise but quickly closed them and kissed back. It was firm and assertive yet still a little soft. There was meaning behind this kiss, it was not just a half conscious decision or a sneaky steal but a real passionate kiss.

There was fire between them, an understanding that had them both feeling that this was not just a one time thing. It was the beginning, the beginning of something real, something they both had been wishing for but never had the chance to accomplish.

They pulled apart and looked into each other's eyes once more, their happiness tangible in the small space between them.

"What's that an 'I love you too'?" Reese spoke into the silence and it made Finch laugh at the innocent tone in the man's voice, the man he loved above anything else in the world.

"Yes Mr. Reese, it was."

_-Note- Chapter three! I told you I would try to update soon! I know it is cheesy and a little long but I hope you liked it. I also know that I had Finch call John Mr. Reese in the end but I just felt like it was more appropriate that way. I don't very well know where to go from here or even if I should continue so if you have any ideas I would more than gladly take any advice I can get! Please review and let me know if I can improve on anything and I do hope I didn't let anybody down!_

_Also, anybody else freak out over the _Baby Blue _episode like I did? I simply cannot wait for all the FanFiction that is sure to come!_

_Much love, AF_


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